As the summary put it so plainly, knives need to be made with sheaths that can retract into the handle. These knives would appear to be just long, multi-layered boxes. However, push a button on the side and the cover on the blade retracts somehow into the handle, leaving it free for use. The button could even have a safety latch of some sort to keep children from being able to use it. Also, the top end could be covered with some sort of flexible foarm or rubber with a tiny slit in the middle for the blade to slip through. This way there is no hole at the top to stick fingers in and get cut. This is safer then switchblades because the blade is not extending out of something; it is simply being revealed. The push of the button does not lengthen the possible weapon but opens it up for use.
It would be useful mostly as a safety measure for children who can pull most kitchen knives easily out of their sheaths if they can get to them. With a retracto-sheath, you can even hand a covered knife to your child, tell him to run it over to daddy, and have no fear of him tripping and cutting himself (not that we should encourage children to run with knives even if they are sheathed).-- smizzou, Jun 26 2001 Fine if the handle is as long as the blade. My kitchen knives (a Rostfrei set of 21) has only two where this is the case.-- angel, Jun 26 2001 I think [smizzou] is talking about a segmented sheath that would progressively collapse into the handle.
I like the idea. Make the sheath spring loaded so it can be deployed via a button (which has to be pressed to retract the sheath) on the handle and I'm sold.-- phoenix, Jun 26 2001 And the sheath only needs to cover the sharp edge[s] of the blade, so wouldn't take up much volume; perhaps it could be wound into the handle of a long knife.
For a real safety latch, give it a proximity sensor to something you stick on the wall at the shortest adult's highest arm-reach. Not only does this button the blades against nimble-fingered, imitative children, but it adds drama to the evening's cooking.
Each household could develop its own view-halloo as the cooks brandish their cutlery in the air; 'There can only be won tons!' 'Prrrrresent Armpits!' etc etc.-- hello_c, Jun 27 2001 Guest souschefs would be a problem, UnaBubba - how about an iButton ring? Could be handed out with the knife but would have the safe-drop feature.-- hello_c, Jun 27 2001 +-- DesertFox, Feb 10 2005 random, halfbakery